# Focalboard — Open-Source Project Management Alternative to Trello and Notion

> Focalboard is a self-hostable kanban + task board tool. Built by Mattermost, it combines Trello-style boards with Notion-style views (table, gallery, calendar) — a solid open-source substitute for small teams.

## Install

Save in your project root:

# Focalboard — Self-Hosted Project Management

## Quick Use
```bash
# Personal edition (desktop app)
brew install --cask focalboard          # macOS
# or download from https://www.focalboard.com/download

# Server edition (Docker)
docker run -it -p 8000:8000 \
  -v focalboard_data:/opt/focalboard/data \
  mattermost/focalboard

# Integrated with Mattermost:
# add Focalboard plugin via Mattermost System Console
```

## Introduction
Focalboard was created by Mattermost and open-sourced in 2021 as a free alternative to Trello, Asana, and Notion's project management features. It ships in three flavors: a personal desktop app, a standalone server, and a Mattermost plugin that deeply integrates task tracking with team chat.

With over 26,000 GitHub stars, Focalboard targets small teams that want self-hosted task management without the complexity of Jira. Boards, cards, properties, and multiple views cover 80% of what most teams need for agile-lite project tracking.

## What Focalboard Does
Focalboard organizes work into **boards**, each with a set of **cards** (tasks). Each card has typed **properties** (status, owner, priority, tags, dates, numbers, checkboxes). You view the same data as a **kanban board**, **table**, **gallery**, or **calendar** — picking the right representation for the moment.

## Architecture Overview
```
[Focalboard Server (Go)]
  or [Mattermost + Focalboard plugin]
      |
[REST API + WebSocket]
      |
+------+------+------+------+
|      |      |      |      |
Boards Cards Views Users Templates
      |
[Storage]
  SQLite (personal desktop)
  Postgres / MySQL (server)
      |
[Clients]
  Web UI (React)
  Desktop apps (Electron)
  iOS + Android (via Mattermost)
```

## Self-Hosting & Configuration
```json
// config.json (standalone server)
{
  "serverRoot": "https://board.example.com",
  "port": 8000,
  "dbtype": "postgres",
  "dbconfig": "postgres://user:pass@localhost/focalboard?sslmode=disable",
  "postgres_dbsql_driver": "pgx",
  "useSSL": false,
  "webpath": "./pack",
  "filespath": "./files",
  "telemetry": false,
  "enablePublicSharedBoards": true,
  "enableAuthProxy": false
}
```

```bash
# Reverse proxy (Nginx) for HTTPS
# proxy_pass http://127.0.0.1:8000;
# proxy_set_header Upgrade $http_upgrade;
# proxy_set_header Connection "upgrade";

# Import from Trello
# Settings -> Import -> Trello JSON export
# All lists become columns, cards + labels + comments migrate

# Templates
# Create reusable board structures for: Sprints, Roadmap, Bug tracker,
# Meeting notes, Personal tasks, OKRs
```

## Key Features
- **Kanban + table + gallery + calendar views** — same data, many lenses
- **Typed properties** — status, owner, date, number, checkbox, link, tags
- **Templates** — sprint, roadmap, bug tracker, personal tasks
- **Import from Trello/Notion/Asana** — JSON import tools
- **Markdown editor** — rich card descriptions
- **Real-time collaboration** — websocket-powered updates
- **Mattermost integration** — discuss cards directly in team chat
- **Personal desktop app** — single-user SQLite mode for solo use

## Comparison with Similar Tools
| Feature | Focalboard | Trello | Notion | Vikunja | Planka |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Self-hostable | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Board views | Kanban + tables + gallery + calendar | Kanban | Many (DB views) | Kanban + list + gantt | Kanban |
| Task priority / assignees | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Time tracking | Via plugin | Via Power-Ups | Manual | Yes | No |
| Mobile apps | Via Mattermost | Native | Native | Web PWA | Web PWA |
| Scale | Small-mid teams | Any size | Any size | Small teams | Small teams |
| Best For | Mattermost users or small self-hosted teams | Quick kanban | All-in-one workspace | Task-first teams | Trello clone |

## FAQ
**Q: Is Focalboard actively maintained?**
A: Development has slowed since 2023 — Mattermost shifted focus back to chat. The codebase is stable and usable, but new features arrive slowly. For mission-critical needs, evaluate continued active alternatives.

**Q: Focalboard vs Notion?**
A: Focalboard is focused on task management. Notion covers docs, databases, wikis, and tasks as a superset. For project-only needs, Focalboard is lighter; for docs + tasks, Notion or AppFlowy is better.

**Q: Can I export my data?**
A: Yes. Any board can be exported as JSON or Markdown (cards). Export + import is lossless within Focalboard.

**Q: Is the Mattermost plugin the same as the standalone?**
A: Very similar UI; the plugin inherits Mattermost's authentication and lets you attach cards to chat channels. The standalone server works without Mattermost.

## Sources
- GitHub: https://github.com/mattermost/focalboard
- Website: https://www.focalboard.com
- Company: Mattermost
- License: MIT (client), Apache-2.0 (server)

---
Source: https://tokrepo.com/en/workflows/308c39a4-381e-11f1-9bc6-00163e2b0d79
Author: AI Open Source